Family takes juvenile diabetes in stride

In the Carroll household, the dominating theme is "life goes on," even when fear spikes in the wake of a life-threatening disease.

Tammy Sharp

In the Carroll household, the dominating theme is "life goes on," even when fear spikes in the wake of a life-threatening disease.

The Carrolls, with the support of a large network of friends and family, simply got up and did what needed to be done when their 11-year-old son Cameron was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. And something must have rubbed off, because the boy is as full of life and energy as any other boy his age, if not more so.

"I really don't think about it," Cameron said of the disease that, if ill-managed, could cause him untold health complications in the future. "I just go on and live my life."

And, in fact, the casual onlooker would never guess he must prick his finger up to eight times a day to check his blood sugar or that he carries an insulin pump in his pocket that is attached to a port in his abdomen so that he can quickly adjust his insulin.

But it wasn't always so easy, say his mother, Jennifer Carroll, and step-dad, Jason Carroll. In fact, there was a time two years ago when emotions ran high as the family worked to find out why Cameron was suddenly losing weight, up to 15 pounds off an already slim 9-year-old frame. Questions cropped up. Why was he so tired and why was he getting up six or seven times a night to go to the bathroom?

For Jennifer Carroll, the diagnosis of juvenile diabetes was simply confirmation, as she'd seen the symptoms when a friend's daughter, one of Cameron's classmates, was diagnosed with it years earlier.

"I knew when we went to the doctor because of our experience with (Cameron's classmate)," she said. "Anytime she was sick or in the hospital, we knew. From her experience, we were aware."

But for Jason Carroll, the diagnosis brought fear, then anger, he said. The fear came from not knowing what dealing with juvenile diabetes would involve; the anger was a result of thinking that the diagnosis was a prediction of a bleak future for Cameron.

"You think, 'why my kid?'" Jason Carroll said.

Over the past two years, though, the family has come to a point of acceptance, he said.

"I'm not sure why him," he added. "I don't like it, but this is our life now. And you either choose to accept it or you don't. You really have to rely on your faith to keep you strong."

And the couple's faith has not only helped them cope but to also find meaning in their experience, both for themselves and for their son.

"(God) gives all of us a testimony, and I think he can see what kind of impact Cameron can have on people one day," Jennifer Carroll said. "I truly believe that he has something special in store for Cameron."

As for their day-to-day life, not much has changed. They also deal with Cameron's needs with a healthy dose of humor.

"As a parent you have to make it as normal as you can," Jennifer Carroll said.

Toward that end, checking blood sugar has become part of the routine in the Carroll household. Even 6-year-old Noah, who often shadows his big brother, can check blood sugar.

In fact, the family has a joke about Cameron's urine strips, which he used early on after the diagnosis, mysteriously appearing in the garbage after Noah had made a trip to the bathroom.

On a day-to-day basis, Cameron uses a meter to check his blood sugar, and it's a responsibility that he has taken in stride.

"It takes about 10 seconds to check my sugar," said Cameron, who also knows just when to eat a few carbohydrates to balance things out, if necessary, or when to adjust his insulin pump.

"Granola bars, we could own stock in just about," said Jennifer Carroll, who also keeps an eye on Noah's blood sugar once every three or four months just to be safe.

The disease, which isn't necessarily hereditary, is actually an autoimmune disease, she said. Cameron's immune system has turned against his body.

The trigger was likely a simple infection, such as a sinus infection or urinary tract infection, which started the groundwork for developing Type I Diabetes, Jason Carroll added.

The family has also developed an eye for the future.

They stay involved in an online community concerned with juvenile diabetes so that they'll be aware of any advances in finding a cure. They also stay current on research involving pancreatic transplants and artificial pancreas because Cameron will never outgrow juvenile diabetes. He can only manage it for the rest of his life, unless a cure is found.

Management includes counting, measuring and weighing food; staying aware of mood swings, a symptom of low blood sugar; taking care of his extremities and any open wounds; avoiding too many simple carbohydrates like candy; and keeping extended family and friends educated.

But even that last has been easy, Jennifer Carroll said, as they've been blessed with loved ones who take an active interest in Cameron's situation.

Wesley Farris, Cameron's father who was offshore at the time of the interview, doesn't hesitate to call Jennifer when he has a question involving Cameron's health, she said.

"We stay in close touch," she said. "And Wesley is willing to learn and do what needs to be done. It's the best situation it could possibly be for a blended family.

"That's one thing we've all been blessed with is family and friends who take the time and want to know what Cameron can and can't have," she added. "He's got a great support system."

Aside from staying current on research, Cameron's family has also taken an active role in raising money to help fund that research.

So far, they've raised more than $2,000 with a variety of fundraisers, including selling tamales and collecting cans that they plan on handing in at the JDRF Walk for a Cure in September.

For more information on juvenile diabetes or to make a donation to Cameron's cause, go to www.jdrf.org.

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